In the past week or so I’ve had a number of vaccinations to prepare for my trip to China, and have more to come. As they say, better safe than sorry, but what do they say in other languages?
The phrase better safe than sorry means it is preferable to be cautious in one’s choices and actions than to act recklessly and suffer afterwards.
Phrases with similar meanings in English include:
- err on the side of caution
- measure twice, cut once
- play it safe
- prevention is better than cure
- an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Equivalent phrases in other languages include:
- Azerbaijani – htiyat igidin yaraşığıdır
(“prudence is the adornment of a brave man”) - Bulgarian – който сам се пази и Бог го пази (koĭto sam se pazi i Bog go pazi) – (“He who protects himself and God protects him”)
- Chinese (Mandarin) – 小心驶得万年船 [小心駛得萬年船]
(xiǎoxīn shǐ dé wànnián chuán) – (“If you are careful, you can steer your ship safely for a myriad of years”) - French – mieux vaut prévenir que guérir
(“prevention is better than cure”) - German – Vorsicht ist besser als Nachsicht
(“caution is better than clemency”) - Greek – κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε (kállio gaïdouródene pará gaïdourogýreve) – (“Better to tie a donkey than to ride a donkey.”)
- Irish – is fearr glas ná amhras
(“better a lock than a doubt”) - Japanese – 転ばぬ先の杖 (korobanu saki no tsue) – (“a walking stick before stumbling”)
- Korean – 돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라 (doldalido dudeulgyeo bogo geonneola) – (“even if you cross a stone bridge, test it first.”)
- Polish – żeby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała
(“if the goat had not been jumping, it would not have broken its leg”) - Welsh – gwell diogel nac edifar
(“better safe than sorry”)
Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/better_safe_than_sorry
How about in other languages?
